Chicken Stock Recipe

Well it really is so easy to make, and uses up those leftovers, that it would be a shame to not know how to make it. There will also be less salt in your homemade stock than in a commercial variety, making it healthier for you.

Learning how to make chicken stock is the first step for a number of other recipes throughout this site as it really gives a flavor that is not possible with shop bought stock cubes.

I like to make some stock the day after I have roasted a chicken, and freeze what I do not need, there and then, for later. Freezing in small quantities allows me to use as little as I need without any waste. Ice cube trays are wonderful for this.

So what do we need?

The ingredients for our chicken stock recipe are variable. Basically apart from the chicken carcass and innards (not including the liver, as that can make the stock cloudy) and the water you can put whatever spare vegetables you have around in the pan. Leave out the green leafy vegetables though!

Chicken stock ingredients ready in the pan

Ingredients for chicken stock recipe

chicken carcass

1 onion

3 carrots

2 stalks celery

2 crushed cloves of garlic

fresh parsley sprigs

salt and freshly ground black pepper

water to cover

Homemade chicken stock

Put all the chicken scraps and vegetables in a heavy based saucepan and cover with water. Bring just to the boil then turn the heat right down low, and leave to bubble gently and simmer for at least one hour. The longer you leave it to cook, the more flavor you will get into your stock.

Drain through a colander over another pan. Then pick through the scraps to find any chicken pieces that have fallen off the bones which can be used in an omelette, or crêpe.

Dispose of the bones and vegetables. Pour the stock, through a sieve, into a jug and cool in the fridge overnight.

If desired you can skim any fat off the top of the stock the next day, and then put it back into a pan to reheat. Boil rapidly to reduce the amount of stock and concentrate the flavor.